From December 2019, more than 50 cases of pneumonia have been reported in
China.
The cause of pneumonia was associated with unidentified coronavirus
related to the deadly SARS virus.
The outbreak seems to be associated with exposures in one seafood market
in Wuhan, China.
Till now, there is no evidence of human to human transmission.
Out of all cases reported, 7 of those cases are serious, and 1 person –
with serious pre-existing health problems – has died. This is the first death
reported due to this virus.
The Chinese authorities have identified a new type of coronavirus and
named “novel coronavirus”, nCoV), which was isolated on 7 January 2020.
Chinese authorities conducted laboratory testing on all suspected cases (active
case finding and retrospective review were done).
Other respiratory pathogens such as
- H. Influenza,
- Avian influenza,
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV),
- Adenovirus,
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV),
has been ruled out as the cause of the outbreak.
- H. Influenza,
- Avian influenza,
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV),
- Adenovirus,
- Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV),
has been ruled out as the cause of the outbreak.
Clinical signs and symptoms:
- Mainly Fever,
- Few cases presented with difficulty in breathing, and
- Chest radiographs showing pneumonic infiltrates in both lungs.
- Mainly Fever,
- Few cases presented with difficulty in breathing, and
- Chest radiographs showing pneumonic infiltrates in both lungs.
According to the epidemiological investigation, most cases worked at or
were handlers and frequent visitors to the Wuhan Seafood Wholesale
Market.
China has shared the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus on 12
January, which will be of significant importance for other countries to use in
developing specific diagnostic kits.
For the first time, Novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection has been detected
outside of China, in a woman who traveled from Wuhan to Thailand.
Risk assessment by WHO:
Investigations are still underway to assess the full extent of the
outbreak as Wuhan city is a major domestic and international transport hub and
source of Outbreak.
WHO does not recommend any specific health measures for travelers as of
now.
In case of symptoms suggestive of respiratory illness either during or
after travel, travelers are encouraged to seek medical attention and share
travel history with their healthcare provider as soon as possible.
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